In the fur industry, various machines are employed for processing animal pelts. In one process, an animal pelt is turned inside out and scraps of fat and other tissue are removed. This process, called "fleshing" must be carefully performed to avoid damaging the skin portion of the pelt. Yet, economics dictate that the operations be performed with some speed. It is often necessary to process many hundreds of pelts in a single day.
One device, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,906, includes a horizontal, rotatable mandrel over which a pelt, turned inside out, may be placed. A roller-mounted carriage travels transversely of the mandrel and carries a powered fleshing knife unit to remove fat and other tissue from the pelt supported on the mandrel. The motor for driving the fleshing knife tips toward and away from the mandrel about a horizontal axis generally parallel to the length of the mandrel, and is positioned by means of a horizontal handle held by one hand of the operator. Other devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,896,438, 3,048,995 and 3,911,703, and in Canadian Pat. No. 665,398.
A single operator may be called upon to process a great many pelts each hour. When using the machine of the above-described U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,906, the movement of the carriage bearing the motor and fleshing knife back and forth along the length of the mandrel becomes very tiring. Expert workmen in this area develop a "feel" for the operation of the machine. The fleshing knife or other flesh-removing device is to be pressed and moved against the pelt with a carefully applied force sufficient to remove fat and other tissue and not cut into or damage the skin of the pelt. When one tires from moving the carriage back and forth along the length of the mandrel as successive pelts are processed, the "feel" of the operator tends to diminish, which can lead to spoiled pelts and diminished production.